Sirius staying over at Remus’s place, them being forced to share a single bed
hello, thanks for the prompts!! this is very cute, and i would also like to preface that i’m writing this blurb before i write the drabble so who knows if this will be sappy or angsty but enjoy!!
Chaos and tension this way comes, thought Remus Lupin on one crisp, winter evening. Students of Hogwarts were on winter hols, and whilst Sirius Black had been staying with James Potter and Family for these holidays since the fourth year, they were now seventeen and Sirius decided it might be nice to stay a night with the Lupins for a change.
The Lupins had a quaint cottage—but lovely all the same—in the depths of Wales, out of sight of Muggles and therefore out of mind. It neighbored a Muggle town, however, which Remus frequented and was half the reason Sirius loved to visit the Lupins, if not mostly because he liked to watch on affectionately as Remus made small talk with the little old lady who ran the café.
Any room containing Sirius Black was bound to ooze with chaos and mischief, but the primary reason for awkwardness and havoc this winter evening chez Lupin was that there were two boys, yet only one bed. Now, this had always been the case, surely, but Sirius hadn’t stayed with Remus by his lonesome before. That, and they were two rather tall (or tall enough, Sirius would add) teenage boys with lanky limbs and dangerously strong feelings for one another.
“I can sleep on the ground—“
“Sirius.”
“I really don’t mind, Moons, not as if I haven’t done it before—“
“Sirius!”
“But it is cold, and—“
“Could you shut the fuck up?”
Sirius did as he was asked and closed his mouth, internally frustrated with how easily Remus could make him do so whilst for any other man it would be a feat. They stood at the foot of Remus’ bed; Remus was dressing it with thick quilts and freshly washed bedsheets, as Sirius stood in just his flannel bottoms and what-used-to-be-Remus’ Marc Bolan t-shirt, wstching on unhelpfully.
Remus huffed and pulled out his wand to finish the job out of defeat. “Listen to me, you dolt. I haven’t minded you in my bed before—on various occasions in which you just barged in anyhow—and it’s not going to change just because this room’s got little planets stuck on the ceiling and all my childhood pictures in it. Now if you don’t let me sleep I will not hesitate to strangle you, so please just stop fucking fretting and get under the duvet.”
After further fussing to get comfortable and sorting out how to lay without quite touching, both boys laid in silence. Remus was out like a light, but Sirius was suffering from his usual bouts of insomnia. There was no way in hell he was going to sleep tonight, how could he, when Remus Lupin was laying so close he could feel his breath on his neck?
Both boys had fancied each other for quite some time now, but their insecurities and obliviousness prevented them from picking up on this. Thus, the sexual tension was high, the number of stolen moments was even higher, and they were constantly teetering on the edge of the friend zone and something more.
Remus had always been a restless sleeper, and sometimes even a sleep-cuddler. Sirius was well acquainted with this fact after seven years of sharing a dormitory with the man, so when an arm suddenly slung around his waist and the body attached to it moved closer, he was only a little surprised. He took this opportunity of inconsequential Moony-watching to admire his best mate’s sleeping form, gently rubbing his back while adapting to the new arrangement, trying to loosen up and just let it happen.
Sirius should have known this plan would be far from infallible, because when Remus muttered a soft “Pa’foot” in his sleep and nuzzled closer he damn near jumped out of the bed. He watched Remus with wide eyes, his heart racing. Christ, Black, you’ve got it fucking bad, he thought at himself in disdain. Remus murmured some more incoherent things before he stopped again altogether, and Sirius managed to get his breathing somewhat under control.
Minutes later, Remus rolled back over, and said his name again. This time, Sirius was on high alert—Remus had to have been dreaming about him, didn’t he? “Pads,” he mumbled. “Love you.”
“You what?”
Pinching himself proved that he was awake and that Remus really did just say what he said, but it also really effing hurt.
Shaking Remus awake was never a good idea. He could be a downright nightmare when he was sleepy, and frankly anybody would be crazy to be unafraid. However, these were dire straits; Sirius saw no other option than to wake Remus up and demand to know if he meant it.
Opening one eye and then the other, the glare Remus sent in Sirius’ direction as he came to was one for the books. Sirius hadn’t a care, for he immediately asked, “did you mean it?”
“What,” Remus ground out, his voice thick with sleep, “the fuck. Are you doing? What am I s’posed t’ve meant? If you don’ lemme go th’fuck back to sleep—“
“You said you loved me, so I’m asking you, did you mean it?”
Remus sat bolt upright, definitely awake now. He could feel red embarrassment and panic coursing through his skin like a flame to paper, all the way from his ears to his mid section. “You—I—what?”
“In your sleep, Moony,” Sirius clarified, “please get with the program, I’m kind of panicking a little bit here.”
The statement hung in the air as Remus scooted as far away as he could, mumbling apologies that Sirius blatantly refused to process. “Moons, you didn’t answer my question,” Sirius pressed softly, piecing things together almost giddily as he dug his nails into his palms to keep from jumping the boy’s bones prematurely.
Remus lifted his eyes to meet Sirius’ once more, not having been so lucky or as self-willing to have made the conclusion that this love was requited yet himself. His eyes and subsequently his voice gave way to a tremor of heartbreak as he replied, “how could I not have?”
He looked down and made to stand up before two hands made death grips around his shoulders and pulled him right back down onto the bed. Sirius’ lips were on his immediately, and he emitted a little noise of surprise before the pieces slotted together and his heartbeat surpassed the speed of sound.
“Bloody fucking hell, Moons, I love you too, I love you too” Sirius panted out between kisses, wholly unaware of the concepts of time or sleep any longer because he was on top of the world, he was over the moon and he felt like a goddamn prize.
“Pads,” Remus pulled back, eyes darting all over Sirius’ features as they adjusted to the dark to be sure to capture this moment for forever. “Does this—are we—?”
“If you think I’m ever letting you go after that proclamation, Lupin, you’re absolutely mad. You’re stuck with me, your subconscious signed up for this when you went and stole my bleeding lungs with an ‘I love you’.”
That’s perfectly alright with me, thought Remus. “We’re going to have a real chat about this in the morning,” was what he said aloud, always reasonable. “But for now, please just get over here and hold me so I can go the hell back to sleep, yeah?”
Sirius didn’t have to be told twice as they burrowed far more comfortably under the blankets once more. They were both warm and giddy with the new promise of a future of this, this, and more of this, but only about a third of the reason for cuddling was because it really was cold for an English winter.
